When my little Aaron came into this world I was only 39 years old, that's fairly young to become a grandparent. So, I have had it a little easier than some grandparents. My favorite Auntie passed away last year, she was in her 70's and she had been caring for her great granddaughter for 3 years. Shortly before she passed away her 4 year old granddaughter was finally adopted by her son after the termination of the biological parent's parental rights. Yes, I believe I have it easy in comparison to some grandparents raising their grandchildren. I am only raising one grandchild, while others are raising multiple grandchildren. I have my husband to help me with the task, while others are doing this on their own. I suffer aches and pains from a progressive bone disease, while others are battling major illnesses. I consider myself very fortunate and I give my sincerest respect to those of you who fit the latter descriptions. In addition to the expected challenges (those most visible to outsiders), we get to face these challenges while life's changes wreak havoc with our bodies and emotions! - Oh, Joy! Over the past couple of years I've begun having several small health complaints, nothing major, but certainly annoyances. I would frequently pass them off as stress related, fatigued from school and taking care of a baby, depression due to the unexpected loss of my mother, or the result of my bone disease. Quite accidently, I recently discovered all of the health complaints I have are typical symptoms of menopause! As I was reading some articles I came across one that describes 16 of the most common symptoms of menopause. Of those 16 symptoms, I was experiencing 14 of them! As if our lives weren't difficult enough, Mother Nature needs to add her two cents worth! Isn't that a kick in the pants?

Since my symptoms, while annoying, are not at the extreme end of the scale, I prefer to say I am experiencing "minipause". Having come to this realization I thought to myself, "self you're probably not the only one coping with this double whammy, let us share...." and so began this particular sit and write session. I'm hoping that sharing the list of common symptoms helps some of you in recognizing and coping with the dreaded change of life. At age 43 it never crossed my mind that I could be approaching menopause, let alone be experiencing symptoms!

Irregular periods:The most important question to answer about your period is, “is it irregular for you?” in terms of the length of your cycle or heaviness of your period. Changes in your period are often the first signal that your sex hormones are beginning to shift in perimenopause.

Hot flashes and night sweats: Hot flashes can strike once a day, or up to 20 times, causing intense flashes of heat along with increased heart rate, dizziness, headache and even claustrophobia or the feeling of being trapped. They can be debilitating, especially when they cause sleeplessness.

Sleep difficulties:You may toss and turn restlessly as you try to sleep or wake up regularly in the middle of the night. Insomnia is often caused by a progesterone deficiency in perimenopause or menopause.

Weight gain:Changes to your weight or the shape of your body are another noticeable symptom. Shifting hormones tell your body to store fat in the abdominal area, even if you’ve never had a weight problem before. This fat is difficult to lose even with diet and exercise.

Fatigue/loss of energy: Not getting enough sleep may make you feel tired, but fatigue can occur even when you get enough sleep, leaving you feeling physically and emotionally drained.

Forgetfulness or fuzzy thinking: One of the most alarming symptoms for many women is memory changes or fuzzy thinking — but it’s extremely common.

Thinning hair or hair loss: You may not realize that imbalances between estrogen and testosterone can cause thinning hair. Many women start to notice clumps of hair in their shower drains during menopause or perimenopause.

Vaginal dryness:It can be a difficult symptom to discuss, but 50% of women in perimenopause and menopause experience it, with dryness, itching and pain that affect their sex lives, activities and even the clothes they wear.

Low libido:While vaginal dryness can cause low libido, a drop in progesterone or a testosterone deficiency by itself can also leave you without a sex drive.

Joint discomfort /stiffness: Joint pain or stiffness in the back, knee or hip may be a surprise symptom caused by fluctuating estrogen levels. Hard to believe but true!

Food cravings:You may find the cravings you had with PMS are getting worse. This may be due to your body’s increased needs for valuable micronutrients, or to the “crash cycle” pattern of fatigue-carbohydrates-fatigue that so many of us fall into with hormonal imbalance.

Digestive discomfort:Embarrassing gas, diarrhea, and constipation can all increase in perimenopause and menopause.

Anxiety and/or sadness: Perimenopause can add to your stress level, and can create hormonal imbalances that affect mood and emotional health. Stress hormones directly affect the production and balance of other hormones.

Irritability and/or moodiness: Feeling angry all the time and snapping at your friends and family doesn’t feel good — for you or them! Outbursts and mood swings are some of the first signs many women notice in perimenopause.

PMS-like symptoms:You may think stronger cramps, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches or mood swings are due to worsening PMS, but these symptoms are often a sign of perimenopause.

Feeling overwhelmed:Perimenopause and menopause can compound existing stress levels, causing your body to be overcome with too many demands. Under these conditions, it’s likely you’ll feel overwhelmed and unable to deal with anything.

http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/16mostcommonsymptoms.aspx I have often thought that I am becoming a grumpy old woman who is short on patience far too often. I have felt overwhelmed and irritable; I've gained weight, feel tired all the time, have lost my sex drive and experienced several physical health complaints. All of which I have attributed to the stress of raising another child and frustrations with the endless drama put forth by my youngest son. This bothered me because I have always been an upbeat, easy-going individual. I began to question whether I was becoming hard and cynical; I don't much like that image of myself. Now I see much of what I have been feeling is a completely normal, albeit annoying, process. I am being less critical of my moodiness, pausing to take a deep breath and refocus before allowing myself to respond impatiently or irritably. I am allowing myself to take care of me when I'm not feeling well and I feel more in control. Not all days are bad, so I can afford to take the time I need to recoup on a bad day to insure I feel better the next. Don't feel guilty about taking that time! Even if it's simply an hour of quiet time, listen to your body and take care of your needs! We can only make these children their happiest and healthiest if we are also happy and healthy.